Our character counts for as much or more than any skill or talent we possess. Great people are honored for who they are, more than what they can do. At AACA we are on a mission to Grow Great Kids! Our August theme is Character Counts. Specific traits include trust, respect, responsibility, fairness, and caring. We illustrate this theme with a fist of five fingers and explain that these five character traits cause us to be TeRRiFiC!
It is from these traits that our success and happiness stems. These habits count and are necessary for everything else in life to flourish. It’s our character that drives our happiness and success. Anything contrary to these TeRRiFiC behaviors leads to trouble. One of my favorite quotes reads:
Sow a thought, reap an act.
Sow an act, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
-Charles Reade
Parent Tip: When we do 1 thing wrong, do 5 things right!
When trouble arises, ask your child which of these character traits are missing. Most of the time they will be able to identify one or more. At that point, ask your child what the behavior could have looked like had they used the TeRRiFiC character trait instead of the negative trait. To correct the mistake have your child practice the correct behavior five times to “erase” the one mistake. It takes 3-20 times to learn anything so the five correct behaviors will help rewire the brain with positive thoughts and actions.
Learning Links
